Gustavo Abarca

Expedition Leader

Gustavo was born in 1970 in San Jose, the youngest of three children. After finishing high school, he became interested in sciences and languages and enrolled at the University of Costa Rica, where he studied basic studies of biosciences (1988-1990), modern languages (1990-1992) and some courses in natural resources management at UNED. During this time Gustavo became fluent in both English and Italian. His work experience started at age 10 when he was a host of a television program for children (1981-1982). During this time he also harvested coffee in a small rural town during school vacations.

In February of 1992 Gustavo started working as a guide because he wanted to be closer to nature as well as to the Costa Rican people. This career shift, as well as his travels to many countries in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia, have made him aware of the importance of nature, its conservation, and the world’s cultural heritage. Furthermore to his travel experience, Gustavo has coordinated logistics for study abroad programs to some universities from the U.S., Holland, and Canada.

His deep knowledge about eco-tourism and Costa Rica’s nature has given him the opportunity to give talks in different parts of the world. This includes places such as: Boulder, Colorado; Fort Worth, Texas; the bird festival at Viña del Mar, Chile; and in the Philippines at the International School of Sustainable Tourism. When not traveling Gustavo lives with his wife Jenny in La Ribera, Belén.